An all-new episode of Dateline NBC will re-examine the 2010 Heidi Firkus murder case from Minnesota. The episode titled “65 Seconds” airs on Friday, October 20, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET.
In the early morning hours of April 25, 2010, Heidi made a desperate 911 call, claiming that “someone’s trying to break into my home,” as per ABC News. Shortly after that, dispatchers heard a gunshot. About 65 seconds later, her husband Nick Firkus made a second call and that his gun went off during a fight with the intruder. Both Nick and Heidi were injured but the latter died at the scene.
In May 2021, police arrested the husband, Nick, based on evidence they found at the crime scene and the former couple’s financial records. Moreover, the suspect’s second wife Rachel also believed that he was possibly involved. The father-of-three stood trial earlier this year when a jury found him guilty. Thereafter, he received life in prison.
Heidi Firkus’ murder investigation and husband’s conviction, explored
After Heidi Firkus’ shooting death, her husband, Nick, offered an account of the botched burglary incident that resulted in the former’s tragic demise. He claimed that a Black male broke into their Minnesota home and that his gun went off during a fight with the intruder. The gunshot then injured him and his wife, killing the latter at the scene.
In the following months and years, detectives searched for the alleged suspect while Nick married a second time and had three children. The second wife Rachel Firkus became suspicious after learning that they were behind on property taxes – Nick and Heidi faced the same issue and were facing an impending eviction at the time.
According to ABC News, Rachel said, “The last time he [Nick] had problems with finances, a lot of things went wrong.” The mother also reportedly confronted her husband, who denied all accusations. The couple divorced in 2018.
The outlet reported that in 2019, St. Paul Police Department Sgt. Nichole Sipes re-examined the case and found that all evidence pointed at Nick Firkus being Heidi’s shooter. At the time of the incident, police had found no signs of a break-in or the presence of a third individual at the Firkus residence. Nichole then reached out to Rachel who shared her suspicions.
Sportskeeda reported that in May 2019, police arrested Nick Firkus and charged him with second-degree murder. Later, a jury indicted him on first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors alleged that the accused tried to hide their financial problems from his then-wife Heidi Firkus and shot the latter as he was ashamed.
Nick stood trial earlier this year and a jury found him guilty of the murder charge on February 10. Following the verdict, a judge sentenced him to life in prison with no parole.
